Speaker cable for SHL-5

Since I havenít seen anybody mention my setup, so I would like to know if its ok; Im placing my amp in the side not in middle between the two speakers, hence the amp is very close to one speaker but far from the other.

My question can I make the length speaker cable for one speaker only 2 m and the other 6 m? And should the long cable need to be thicker gauge than the shorter cable? And should I go to Classic 79 strand cost £1.95/metre not Original?

Im asking this because as far I know long speaker cable degrade sound quality and also one speaker might sound different than the other since the two cable length are not identical.

If this has been answered before please let me know the link.
Thanks very much.

Some years ago I had a setup with 4m on one side and 2m on the other (or something like that) and didn't notice any difference - that was with small Maggies and a Sumo Nine amp (the amp instructions say about speaker cables - go to the hardware store and get some lamp cord).

There is a good article on cables on the Pass DIY site (not accessible at time of writing). Personally I'd follow the amp maker's recommendations when it comes to cable, if anything will be affected by choice of cable it is the amp rather than the speaker.

Depending on the cable you shouldn't hear the difference. However, if you are using an inexpensive cable, why would you not have equal lengths ? If you move or rearrange the system, you might need equal lengths and at £1.95/mtr, you might just as well keep them the same.

STHLS5, honmanm, and hifi_dave thank you all for reply. Im doing this because if I make long length for closer speaker then the cable will be laying in the floor with too many layers! No problem I will make same length for both.

My understanding Alan recommend only 79 strand and so the users! will what do you recommend? A higher model in Qed or different brand? I have Transparent cable with network box is it better? Im not sure these networks are best tech unless someone have good inputs, because sometimes I feel these things change the sound somehow?

The thing I don’t want to change any chemistry of SHL-5! I want to hear Harbeth that supposes to sound! improving the sound yes but without any changes.

Hi, anyone is using, (or have used), the Kimber 8PR or 8VS speaker cable with SHL5, you know one good speaker cable for SHL5 with tubes?
Except Auditorium 23 .Regards.

Hi
I've been using the 8TC since 2003, when I bought it with a great discount from the local distributor. It has proved to be very reliable and pretty well matching the SHL5s, so I assume both these two versions will sound equally nice.
Cheers,
Thanos

to be frank, it makes no different. you will never remember how it sound after spending 5minutes disconnecting and reconnecting it back. same goes to changing tubes to NOS, changing jenson paper capacitors to Black Gates oil cap, changing UPOCC silver cables to Mundorf gold. recently i audition a amplifier upgrade, after an hour of modification and hundreds of dollar spend, the results is unconvincing.

to be frank, it makes no different. you will never remember how it sound after spending 5minutes disconnecting and reconnecting it back. same goes to changing tubes to NOS, changing jenson paper capacitors to Black Gates oil cap, changing UPOCC silver cables to Mundorf gold. recently i audition a amplifier upgrade, after an hour of modification and hundreds of dollar spend, the results is unconvincing.

Moqadam, I agree with coredrum. Do you think Alan, the amplifier designers, Cd player makers used exotic cables during the design stage? Some cables do alter the sound so too a digital equalizer, tone or bass control. Changes induced by cables are too subtle than you can positively identify them under ABX test unless you are repeatedly listening to a track which is very familiar to you. Even in that case, after a day you wouldn't able to tell which cables is being used!!!

Google for Roger Russell's homepage ( and also Westhost homepage) for a good understanding about cables effect and myth. Too bad I only came to know about his site after spending so much on cables and making a fool out of myself when I was listening for months using inexpensive cables without realising that I forgot to swithc them back after one ABX test. Now, I am contend with inexpensive cables. You may want to consider shielded cables in the case of RFI or EMI in your system.

Thanks very much Coredump and STHLS5 for links and helpful information. Nice link for Rogers Russell indeed very helpful. :) Im too spend lot money in Transparent cables which now I feel waste money because I feel these exotic cables remove the warmth and natural sound. Hmm… I have been told many times “simplicity is better”.

I have Monster connectors are better than Qed? And shall I go for Banana or Spade connectors I mean do they sound different? Also, how I shield speaker cable from RFI or EMI noises (if very important)?

When it comes to anything audio, in my opinion, the simpler the better and that applies to cables. I have heard many cables with networks attached and they behave like a tone control, whish is fine if you want to doctor the sound. If you want to keep it natural you need a good quality, simple cable which needn't be expensive.

I would recommend something along the lines of Chord Rumour-2 or their Odyssey-2, neither of which are expensive. If you can't tell the difference straightaway with these then there is something wrong with your system.

I've replaced my Kimber 8tc with QED "original", single-wire. It has 79 strands (2,5mm2) like the classic "79strand" but the dielectric is Polyethylene instead of PVC and the copper is O.F. 99,999%
I did not notice any difference worth consideration in my system (Krell amp, Copland cdp, SHL5). Very good sound either way.
The price per metre for the QED is normal, (about €5, many times lower than the Kimbers), it is thin, almost invisible and does a perfect job.
The strange thing is that i think it sounded a little tiny bit louder than the kimber and it is longer!!! (Kimber: 2X2,95 metres QED: 2X5,50 metres).
I have already sold the Kimbers.